“Whereever the subways have blazed a trail, the people have followed,” Bloomberg said.

“The city’s growth has mirrored the subway’s growth,” Spitzer said. “That is a fact. It is a historic reality.”

When asked about Chuck Schumer’s criticism of the funding mechanism of the extension (which the city is paying for by selling bonds, not in partnership with the MTA) and the elimination of one proposed subway stop on the extension, Bloomberg jokingly replied, “Senator Schumer is never critical about anything. You must have confused him with someone else.”

Then, he called on Dan Doctoroff to answer the question. “This really is an economic development of the subway system,” and “we have an option to build out” in that area, he said.